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An economic storm hits U.S. farmers

The ongoing U.S.-China trade war is hurting American farmers. Amid record harvests in the U.S., farmers are finding lower prices and less demand when they bring it to market.

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"It used to be one out of three rows [of soybeans] in Iowa were exported to China. Well, it's nothing now," said Iowa soybean farmer April Hemmes. "Lately they've gone to Brazil, and now Argentina."
"It used to be one out of three rows [of soybeans] in Iowa were exported to China. Well, it's nothing now," said Iowa soybean farmer April Hemmes. "Lately they've gone to Brazil, and now Argentina."
Scott Olson/Getty Images

As China continues to not buy from U.S. soybean producers, American farmers are running out of options. They can either sit on their crop and pray for a trade deal, or take the lower prices at market.

But farmers aren’t just being hit on the sell side of things. Rising costs are also hitting farmers’ pockets, and no matter where they look, there doesn’t seem to be any help in sight.

“I call it the ‘Everything Everywhere All at Once,’” said April Hemmes, Iowa soybean farmer. “Our inputs are high, our prices have not kept up with inflation, and the tariffs on top of it.”

“Marketplace” host Kai Ryssdal spoke with April Hemmes about how farmers are weathering this current economic storm and the impacts of the U.S. China trade war.

To hear their full conversation, click the audio player above.

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